For someone as public as Chris Brown, it’s almost astonishing how few interviews he’s done. The singer revealed an image from a magazine shoot over a week ago, that we weren’t huge fans of. And now, the photos are out! The 23-year-old decided to open up to Prestige Hong Kong magazine about his current projects, life in the “regular” world and passion for art.

On what’s he’s enjoying about life: “Honestly, my day-to-day life is the most fun right now because I get a chance to not focus on ‘the artist’ Chris Brown. Going through the regular things, like going to the grocery store. I’m also running a label right now, so I have different artists, four or five different acts, shooting videos that I’m directing and coming together.”

What inspired him as a kid: “Back in the day, what inspired me as a teenager growing up was Fred Astaire, James Brown, Michael Jackson. Not their personal life or what they do when they go home, but the movies they made that took you to a land they made up when you saw them. Gene Kelly, too.”

On how much of small-town Virginia is left in him: “I’m still country. Sometimes when I talk the twang will come out. But I feel humbled by my upbringing. I still live in Virginia. I have a house there. I go back and forth. Most of my family is based out of there. And I always go back to get my aunt’s cooking. That’s a must.”

On what would surprise fans: “Just how involved I am with everything. I think a lot of people, a lot of artists, they get the glamor and glitz and everything else is already set for them. You see it and you say, ‘Oh man, it’s perfect.’ But everything is already written. For me, it’s all just straight from thin air. I hear a song [claps his hands] – that’s my concept. When you hear my records, it’s really me writing. It’s really my emotions. It’s really me behind the cameras, directing those videos. It’s me making the decision on what singles we put out. Being the CEO. A real businessman at 23. That’s what I want to show my audience. The generation that we’re in – we’re a lazy generation. The kids in my generation are not as hyper. The work ethic isn’t there. The attention span is short. But I think if they can see me do it at 23 and have all this stuff going on – and still have fun while I’m doing it – who’s to say they can’t?”

From Lanvin to Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana, the singer sports several European designers for the pics.